Since 2000, the overall population of California’s exposure to PM2.5 pollution has dropped by a staggering 65 percent, thanks to policies such as the federal Clean Air Act. However, despite these impressive improvements in California’s air quality, a new study led by the University of California, Berkeley has revealed historical racial disparities in exposure to air pollution still persist among California’s Black communities
Historically racist housing policies, like redlining, have forced Black and other underrepresented communities into areas with high exposure to air pollution, such as those near highways and seaports. Using their own modeling tool and the California Air Resources Board Emissions Factor Regulatory model, the study authors examined data from 2000 to 2019 regarding rates of PM2.5 exposure in these disadvantaged neighborhoods compared to predominately White neighborhoods.
Although there has been noticeable improvements in air quality among disadvantaged neighborhoods, the relative exposure disparities between Black communities and White communities increased. This suggests that because Black communities’ proximity to high-polluting areas is greater than predominately White neighborhoods, California’s current environmental policies may not be enough to close the racial gap in pollution exposure.
“Without systemic changes to transportation infrastructure, it seems possible that these relative disparities could persist even in a future, lower emission scenario,” the authors write. “Conversely, by strategically accelerating emissions reductions, such as vehicle electrification efforts, with deployment emphasizing overburdened areas, [disadvantaged neighborhoods] could achieve substantial short-term reductions in relative exposure disparity.”
Alongside the University of California, Berkeley, the study’s authors included scholars from the University of Washington and the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment.
